As the Los Angeles Chargers had their best defensive performance of the season in their 22-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10, their blueprint for remaining competitive in spite of the struggles of their offensive line revealed itself.
Nevertheless, ESPN reporters, in their list of takeaways from Week 10's game, decidedly did not put serious stock into the Chargers' victory, indicating that those same struggles could remove the Chargers from contention entirely this season.
"The Chargers still struggled to protect quarterback Justin Herbert; he was sacked five times and pressured 12 times Sunday... While Sunday's win was a great sign for the Chargers' playoff hopes, it isn't an indicator that they can be serious championship contenders."NFL Nation; ESPN
Los Angeles's playoff chances climbed to 82% with their win over Pittsburgh, meaning that the game was, in fact, one of their biggest of the season. Yet, insofar as their offensive line struggles will almost certainly continue, ESPN has issued a poignant reminder about the Chargers' ceiling this season.
No matter how good the Chargers' defense can be, their offense could still prevent them from a deep playoff run
Against the Steelers, the Chargers' defense put up what was easily their most impressive performance of the season. They limited opposing quarterback Aaron Rodgers to just 161 passing yards and 11 first downs on the night, holding their opponent to just three points until a garbage-time touchdown lessened their deficit.
In fact, if Los Angeles has any hope of remaining competitive this season in the absence of their two star tackles, it will be because of the combination of their smothering defense and the superhuman play of Justin Herbert.
Yet, even with these two ingredients coming together, it may still not be enough.
Even beyond the injuries to Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, their healthy offensive linemen have struggled mightily, and the Chargers are tied for the third-most sacks allowed in the NFL through the first 10 weeks of the season. As ESPN points out, even in what was a relatively solid offensive night for Herbert, his line was still abysmal.
While this might be enough to beat the Steelers, and even allow Los Angeles to claim a wild card spot this season, any team they will face once they get there is likely to have a pass rush that is able to exploit these same weaknesses with ease.
By no means is this already a lost season. The Chargers haven't had a playoff win since 2018, and they still have seven games to cobble together an offensive line that gives them a serious chance to get one this season.
Yet, is it realistic to think that this team, without Alt and Slater, can win more than one playoff game? As painful as it may be to admit, ESPN reporters may have a serious point about the ultimate significance of their Week 10 victory.